By Spy Uganda
The number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Uganda has risen to 222 after the Ministry of Health announced that 9 news cases of infected truck drivers had been registered on Monday.
Announcing the updated results, officials from the Ministry of Health tweeted on Monday thus; “Today, 25 May, 2020, 10 new COVID-19 cases confirmed. The total COVID-19 confirmed cases are now 222.
9 new cases are from the Points of Entry while 1 new case is a contact to a previously confirmed truck driver. The contact was under quarantine at the time of test.”
They added that; “30 positive foreign truck drivers were handed over to their country of origin.
Total COVID-19 Recoveries: 69
Samples from Points of Entry tested today: 1,037
Samples from community and contacts: 152
Total samples tested today: 1,189.”
Meanwhile, Spy Uganda has learnt that at least 98 Ugandan lawyers are currently swimming in millions of shillings which they received recently as COVID-19 relief funds.
The lawyers reportedly received the money from the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for Lawyers that was established last month for the purpose, according to the Fund’s chairperson Assumpta Kemigisha Ssebunya.
Describing it as a ‘resounding success,’ Ssebunya said the Fund has so far attracted 65 donors who have pooled a total of Shs17M of which 13M has been given out to the 98 beneficiaries in varying amounts, leaving a balance of 3.6M Uganda Shillings ” for future disbursements”
Ssebunya also revealed that the Fund was considering closure, although she said this will depend on the decision of President Yoweri Museveni.
The Emergency Fund was established in April by Lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde and other 10 colleagues after a touching story of a young Lawyer who was arrested at State House in Nakasero where he had gone apparently to ‘beg’ for food from President Museveni was published in the local dailies. It would later be endorsed by the Uganda Law Society.
Beyond financial help, Ssebunya said the Fund has rendered counselling services to ” so many” without disclosing the actual number.
